Le chat reste immobile devant la fenêtre quand il regarde la pluie.

the cat

Breakdown of Le chat reste immobile devant la fenêtre quand il regarde la pluie.

• la fenêtre: the window
• rester: to stay, to remain
• quand: when

Questions & Answers about Le chat reste immobile devant la fenêtre quand il regarde la pluie.

Why are le and la used before chat, fenêtre, and pluie?

In French, singular countable nouns usually need an article much more often than in English.

So you get:

• le chat = the cat
• la fenêtre = the window
• la pluie = the rain

English sometimes leaves articles out in places where French does not, but French generally prefers to include them.

Why does the sentence use reste immobile instead of just est immobile?

Rester means to stay or to remain. So reste immobile suggests that the cat remains motionless.

• Le chat est immobile = the cat is motionless
• Le chat reste immobile = the cat stays/remains motionless

Using rester adds the idea of continuity: the cat keeps still while watching the rain.

Why is immobile placed after reste?